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>Counterexamples? Would love to hear them.

Penicillin



Along those lines, the smallpox vaccine and X-rays.


The smallpox vaccine that eliminated the disease certainly had lesser know and effective predecessor as early as 1770:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cowpox


Not really a product, though, so that doesn't count as a good example. Obviously a major discovery with high impact, though.


Penicillin is produced, distributed and sold. I've bought it more than once and consider it to be a product. What do you feel is the necessary criteria for something to called a product?




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